FC Barcelona got a good 1-0 victory against Sevilla in their last La Liga match, but the victory came with a price for the Catalan club. One important part of Xavi’s forward line, Raphinha, was injured in this match and will have to miss the coming few games.
The medical tests conducted after the match showed that the Brazilian had suffered an injury to his femoral biceps in the right leg and was thus out of action for around four weeks.
He will miss the games against Porto, Granada, Athletic Club, and Shakhtar Donetsk, and the club is aiming to get him fit for the El Classico on 28th October without taking any risks.
Meanwhile, Xavi will have to continue rotating his lineups to avoid further injuries to his starters. Mundo Deportivo has identified four names that Xavi can rely on in Raphinha’s absence without compromising too much on the quality of the squad:
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal is the most likely to benefit from this opportunity as he was already getting many minutes on the pitch even when Raphinha was available. However, Barcelona want to protect him, considering he is still only sixteen years old.
Fermin Lopez
Lopez has arisen as another interesting option for Xavi in the last few matches. He was Raphinha’s replacement when the Brazilian got off the pitch after his injury against Sevilla, and he shone in this match once again after having helped Barcelona avoid defeat against Mallorca.
Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres is a more experienced option for Xavi to replace Raphinha in the forward line. While Xavi has played him mostly on the left or in the number 9 position, Torres himself has previously declared that he performs the best on the right wing.
Joao Cancelo
Lastly, another option for Xavi to cover for Raphinha could be Joao Cancelo, who can play both in the interior of the pitch or on the wing. His versatility makes him an option for Xavi, but he will have to look for another player to be deployed at the right-back position.
